Mr Fudge Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 Sorry, I tried a lot of markbass stuff today. Best was the LMKII through a 4x10. It did sound good but nowhere near as good as my ashdown rig. My ashdown has balls and grunt and a great set of bollocks and Im keeping it. I have the MAG 300 and 4x10 cab. Next question ... what are the higher end ashdown amps like? I'm heading for some more ashdown because if thats how their low end compares their top end must be the dogs. cheers ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 good on ya mate, a friend of mine plays a thunderbird through an Ashdown, both of which some people would class as s**te. But the combo sounds great with the band ( classic and modern rock) . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phatbass787 Posted June 28, 2008 Share Posted June 28, 2008 [quote name='Mr Fudge' post='228776' date='Jun 28 2008, 11:09 PM']Sorry, I tried a lot of markbass stuff today. Best was the LMKII through a 4x10. It did sound good but nowhere near as good as my ashdown rig. My ashdown has balls and grunt and a great set of bollocks and Im keeping it. I have the MAG 300 and 4x10 cab. Next question ... what are the higher end ashdown amps like? I'm heading for some more ashdown because if thats how their low end compares their top end must be the dogs. cheers ...[/quote] I'm not much on the Mark Bass either bit too lifeless for me. Glad you loving your MAG, try the ABM if you can think you may like. My Klystron rig makes me smile everytime I plug into it, it never fails to sound anything other than awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 Before I got my Markbass combo I was looking at Ashdown stuff (amongst others) & hoped that it was what I was looking for as visually I think Ashdown looks the dangleys. I tried an Ashdown rig (ABM 500 head thru a 210 & 115) and unfortunately it just wasn't my sound. I seriously hoped that it would be as I could get this for less than my combo. I like the MB sound as it makes my bass sound just like my bass & if I want it to sound different then I can use the two filters or effects are there to do that, but I do realise that this isn't to everyone's taste & that Ashdown may suit different styles of playing just as some people prefer Metal & some Jazz. If you couldn't get serious lows from that MB rig tho, I think there may have been some trouble with one of the components as I have broken things with mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-soar Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 [quote name='Mr Fudge' post='228776' date='Jun 28 2008, 11:09 PM']Sorry, I tried a lot of markbass stuff today. Best was the LMKII through a 4x10. It did sound good but nowhere near as good as my ashdown rig. My ashdown has balls and grunt and a great set of bollocks and Im keeping it. I have the MAG 300 and 4x10 cab. Next question ... what are the higher end ashdown amps like? I'm heading for some more ashdown because if thats how their low end compares their top end must be the dogs. cheers ...[/quote]Hi Fudge why don't you try the LMKII through the 2x15" instead, they get better reviews than their 4x10" cabs. As for Ashdown, I had a 1999 ABM 1x15" Combo 500 and it was great but a single fifteen with no horn/tweeter just wasn't good, so I stuck a Mini 48 on top and all was well. If you can get a second hand, British made ABM 500 4x10" Combo and a 4x10" cab, you'll have some change from £900 and be able to rattle windows out of their frames. Or you could buy a Mark Bass head and a 2x10" cab. If only you had the money when Chopthebass was selling his Klystron heads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budget bassist Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 Aye, try an ABM out, try some different cabinets too, chuck a 115 in there and see how it sounds, you might be pleasantly surprised! I think, if anything my next rig is going to be an ashdown ABM or something similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_ferret Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 (edited) Well if we all liked the same stuff we would have nothing to chat about. Were you trying the MarkBass cabs as well? There does seem to be an opinion that the cabs are not as good as the amps. There is a chrome ABM 500 and 212 cab for sale [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=21837&hl="]here[/url] if you want better Ashdown. By all means try adding a 115 as well but take care when mixing cabs as the results can be unpredictable. Edited June 29, 2008 by bass_ferret Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Fudge Posted June 29, 2008 Author Share Posted June 29, 2008 I tried the LM through a range of mark bass speakers and in retrospect I think the cabs let down the amp. The 4x10 worked by far the best. I could see the amp was very good. Very tight. I wonder what the ashdown cabs would sound like with a LM head. It makes me think that my ashdown 4x10 is pretty good. Im still considering a LM head but personally Im not convinced with the MB combos and indeed hated the sound of the single 12 combo. I am now thinking about possibly getting a 2x10 cab (possibly the same as my ashdown) I then have a small rig, normal rig and a 6x10 rig. I would also have a nice little set up to practice at home. So the LM is not out of the equation because there was a wow factor when I stuck it through the 4x10. I need to gig some of this stuff. Wanging it up in the shop just isnt the same. cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_ferret Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 Get yourself down to Mark at Bass Direct - Kenilworth aint that far from West Brom - and try the Mark Bass with some Bergantino cabs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Fudge Posted June 29, 2008 Author Share Posted June 29, 2008 I must do this ... Im looking at the ABM's on the bay as we speak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phsycoandy Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 No lack of Low end here and my back loves me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-soar Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 Nice decking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steantval Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 Plenty of bottom end with mine. My back is also loving it too.[attachment=10235:P3210006.JPG] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_ferret Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 Looks like something out of Dr Who! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steantval Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 The guys in the shuttle did say they could hear it out in space when I was gigging with it last week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 I can see why the LMII could fail to impress in a shop. First time I tried one, the shop bloke had no idea how to set the eq and there was no intruction manual available to look at. To start with a flat sound the eq knobs are centred as normal, but the VPF & VLE should be turned fully anticlockwise. If all knobs are centered it won't be the best starting point for random twiddling. The second time I tried one elsewhere, it was explained that VPF is the "Pre-Shape" & VLE is "Vintage Loudspeaker emulator", the flexibility became aparent and I could pretty much dial in the sound I wanted with just those two knobs without touching the 4 band eq. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Fudge Posted July 1, 2008 Author Share Posted July 1, 2008 Cheers. I did mess around with the knobs and did find some good sounds. I have looked carefully at the manuals on line and had some great advice from bass chatters. I ended up ordering the SA450. I know I will get on with this amp. I also know I need more headroom, depth and clarity. I thing I get most od my tone through a pretty aggressive finger style. No great plan behind this, just the way things have developed over the years ... and being a massive Rush fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPBass Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 Ashdown Rock. Ive used them for years but now am on a 'not by choice' low weight Rig by TC Electonic which is great. Truth is If I could afford a roadie I'd be back to Ashdown in a flash. Then again Im a Warwick fan too so what do I know. Try out the top end Valve stuff but most touring players are using the ABM with the awesome Sub Harmonic Generator (which Im yet to find an octave pedal that can replicate it). They are bullet proof and the aftersales is second to none. Big Vote for Ashdown...I miss them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 It's been a few years since I've owned one, but from the times I've used Ashown stuff as supplied backline or in rehearsal rooms, I've always like the simpler preamp in the MAG amps better than the ABMs and EVOs. Is it just me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomBass Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 Blimey that's a 5 year jump in posts. Still the same old discussions though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 [quote name='RandomBass' timestamp='1386109305' post='2296034'] Blimey that's a 5 year jump in posts. Still the same old discussions though. [/quote] Wow, I didn't notice that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomBass Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 [quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1386109380' post='2296035'] Wow, I didn't notice that! [/quote] Me neither to start with lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 (edited) Had an Evo 500 thing, iirc... round here for a few days and didn't like it at all. Getting a decent sound at low volumes at home shouldn't vex it...even Markbass can do that... ( cheap shot and disreguard ) but if it couldn't do it then, I wasn't going to even think about putting in a discerning band situation. So, you could put me down as not a fan.. .. but enough are.. Having said that.... used to regularly hunt down a ABM 15" combo for hire when mine was in for repair. Easy lift, powerful and punchy and I would have bought it of the hire co...if they would have sold it to me..... but that was back then. Edited December 3, 2013 by JTUK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leroydiamond Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 The experience for many when it comes to Markbass is the Little Mark II. a very popular amp but not everyone's cup of tea. I had one and switched to the Markbass F500 and it is a serious step from the LMII I.M.O. A very different amp. Very punchy and not at all laid back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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